With the exchange done, Elias and Kael departed. The dire wolf paced alongside them as they entered the paths of Embergrove, walking beneath the towering trees while the filtered sunlight danced through the canopy.
At first, the walk was silent. Then Kael broke the silence.
"So, have you heard the history of the Embergrove Forest?"
Elias tilted his head. "Not really. I never paid much attention to stuff like that."
Kael chuckled. "Oh, I see. Me neither, but I happened to get caught up in some of the rumors about this forest."
Elias narrowed his eyes. "Oh? Care to share?"
"Oh, it's nothing much. Just a rumor that a powerful fire entity once died here. They say its breath still lingers among the trees, making them burn."
"Oh," Elias muttered. "Sounds kinda stupid to me."
Kael burst out laughing at that. "Well, you can't trust all rumors, I guess. But there's a saying, right? That in every rumor, there's a bit of truth. Don't you agree?"
"True," Elias chuckled.
